14+ Planner Examples & Templates in Excel

We often find ourselves in a constant dilemma of planning out our future and living each day as it is. While running on borrowed time might hinder us from caring about what lies ahead, it’s important to remember that what we do today can greatly impact what happens tomorrow. Thus, making use of a good planner is sure to help make each day of our lives count.

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So in this article, let’s take a closer look at how planners are made and how they may help us achieve our goals more effectively.

Elements of a Good Planner

Planners can come in different forms. Whether you’ve collected a few stickers just to get your hands on a yearly Starbucks planner or simply purchased one from a local store, there are a couple of elements that every good planner should have.

1. Milestones: The great thing about life is your freedom to choose the paths you want to take. Be it a student goal, a career goal, or a workout goal—all these dreams and aspirations all lead toward a set of life goals you hope to accomplish during your time here on earth. But because it could take a while before you can reach the end of each journey, keeping track of the little victories in life may keep you inspired amidst the obstacles faced.

2. Daily Memories: Every single day is different. Although planners are meant to document your future agendas, using a planner to record significant day-to-day events is a great way to keep you on track. This serves as a reminder of what you’ve learned from a bad day, along with the progress you’ve made over a specified period.

3. Inspirational Page: A planner reflects our daily schedule of activities to keep us updated on the things that need to be done for the day. But let’s face it, just looking at it can already weigh you down. Thus, it wouldn’t hurt to include a few motivational pages to keep you inspired during your toughest moments. You can write down some famous quotes, movie lines, poems, and even encouraging words from the people you love.

4. Due Dates: Working on a project a day before its due date is a risky move you wouldn’t want to catch yourself doing. But maybe it was never your intention to do so, as it may have slipped your mind until the last minute. To avoid instances like this, noting down important due dates and other deadlines is a must for your planner.

5. Bucket List: It’s only natural for us to have our own share of short-term and long-term goals which we hope to attain at some point in our life. But as human as we are, there are times when we feel unmotivated to continue pursuing our dreams. By adding a bucket list to your planner, you can constantly remind yourself why you started.

Weekly Schedule Planner

Weekly Schedule Planner Template

How to Create a Planner

Sure, buying a planner from the store might seem like the easiest way out. But if you’re into arts and crafts and want to add a more personal touch to your planner, the following guidelines are sure to come in handy.

1. Design the layout: Always begin with an outline of your planner. That way, you’ll know exactly what to include in the planner for better delivery. You can begin with something simple like an average chart or table. It’s best to add your creative elements last to prioritize the general function of the planner before its form.

2. Insert columns and rows: More often than not, columns and rows are added to the planner to keep it organized. This will divide items on your planner into different sections. The area available will be enough for you to write down your entries in full detail. Make sure to add headings where necessary to make it easy for you to find what you’re looking for at a glance.

3. Add a calendar: Whether it’s an annual planner or a monthly planner, inserting a miniature version of a calendar at the right-hand side of the planner will make it easier to track the designated tasks and activities for the period. If you’re creating a planner in the form of a book or a diary, be sure to add a calendar on every page of the material.

4. Edit and revise: Review the planner for any errors that may have been overlooked. This includes the placement of key elements and the spelling of words. Text should remain readable from half an arm’s length to make information easy to absorb especially when you’re in a rush.

Tips to Make the Most Out of Your Planner

Some of us have a terrible habit of buying things we know we don’t need. One example would be a planner. The only way to break this habit and put those store-bought or handcrafted planners to use is to learn how to incorporate these planners into our everyday lives. So to ensure a successful planning agenda, keep the following tips in mind:

Plan ahead: We’re all guilty of being lazy planners. But the consequences of “winging it” will always come back to haunt us. So if you don’t want your plans to go to waste, planning ahead will always be a smarter option. Think about the tasks that need to be accomplished within the day and consider what you can do to maximize the time available.

Prioritize information: In a formal setting, a planner may be used to deliver vital information from one party to another. This will serve as a guide that they could use to finish an assignment according to the project schedule. For this reason, ensure that the information included in the planner are relative to your end goal.

Avoid adding pictures and illustrations: Unless completely necessary, avoid adding images that might distract you from the message being conveyed. But if you intend to add an image for personal or business reasons, make sure to limit the use of such and to include only those that are relevant to the information indicated on the planner.

Keep it concrete and specific: Let’s say you’re creating an itinerary planner for a business trip on the following month. Since you’ll be staying at a foreign place, the details on your travel schedule need to be as specific as possible. Keep what you know now might be difficult to recall a month later. Hence, information should be listed in such a way that readers can immediately grasp.

Update regularly: Nothing is for certain. A few inconveniences may come along forcing you to make the necessary adjustments to your plan. But if you fail to apply these changes right away, it’s likely you’ll forget to do so completely. The last thing you’d want to deal with on a stressful day are cancelled appointments and last-minute meetings.

Types of Planners

Planners are typically designed to cater a specific purpose. It’s safe to say there’s a planner out there for everyone. Listed below are a few examples of planners you might find useful for your everyday needs.

Traditional Planners: This is one of the most efficient tools you can depend your life on. These planners are perfect for your everyday activities for work or school as they are generally designed to cover every aspect of a user’s life.

Financial Planners: For the money-conscious individuals, these planners help you focus on your monthly expenses and budgeting efforts to help you reach your financial goals effectively. Though it may come in the form of a weekly and daily planner, it also contains a few sections for you to make your financial plans accordingly.

Fitness Planners: If you’re looking to get fit in the new year, these planners will help you keep track of your progress and prep for your daily meals so you can obtain your fitness goals in no time.

Time and To-Do List Planners: Finals week is fast approaching. On top of the exams you need to take, projects and research papers need to be submitted before you can officially end the semester. So to keep focus and stay on task in the coming weeks, a to-do list planner will allow you to plan out the entire day so you can get everything done on time.

Bullet Journals: What makes the bullet journal so unique is how it enables you to be flexible with your planner. You can make your own version of the planner mentioned above to keep all your essential information in one handy journal. The planner can also be modified in any way possible to suit your personal requirements as desired.

Planner FAQs

What is a planner?

A planner is something that you can use to keep track of your goals along with the assignments and tasks needed to complete it. This will keep you organized despite your hectic schedule, reminding you of important meetings and appointments that need to be settled within the day.

Why is a planner important?

Imagine if you stopped living by the book. While it might seem like an exciting venture to embark on, it also leaves room for potential mistakes and disappointments. This is why it’s important to use a planner whenever possible. It’s about being prepared for the things that might come to help generate better outcomes.

What makes up an effective planner?

A planner can only be effective if you learn to play by the rules wisely. This means following the plan, being flexible enough to adapt to unexpected changes, and learning to get back up even when things don’t go exactly as planned. While you don’t have to put everything in the planner, it’s good to highlight a few points that are worth remembering.

And there you have it! Stay organized by using a good planner for your work or student life with the help of these templates and examples.